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2009 California Health and Safety Code - Section 1324.20-1324.30 :: Article 7.6. Skilled Nursing Facility Quality Assurance Fee
HEALTH AND SAFETY CODESECTION 1324.20-1324.30
1324.20. For purposes of this article, the following definitions shall apply: (a) "Continuing care retirement community" means a provider of a continuum of services, including independent living services, assisted living services as defined in paragraph (5) of subdivision (a) of Section 1771, and skilled nursing care, on a single campus, that is subject to Section 1791, or a provider of such a continuum of services on a single campus that has not received a Letter of Exemption pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 1771.3. (b) "Exempt facility" means a skilled nursing facility that is part of a continuing care retirement community, a skilled nursing facility operated by the state or another public entity, a unit that provides pediatric subacute services in a skilled nursing facility, a skilled nursing facility that is certified by the State Department of Mental Health for a special treatment program and is an institution for mental disease as defined in Section 1396d(i) of Title 42 of the United States Code, or a skilled nursing facility that is a distinct part of a facility that is licensed as a general acute care hospital. (c) (1) "Net revenue" means gross resident revenue for routine nursing services and ancillary services provided to all residents by a skilled nursing facility, less Medicare revenue for routine and ancillary services, including Medicare revenue for services provided to residents covered under a Medicare managed care plan, less payer discounts and applicable contractual allowances as permitted under federal law and regulation. (2) Notwithstanding paragraph (1), for the 2009-10 and 2010-11 rate years, "net revenue" means gross resident revenue for routine nursing services and ancillary services provided to all residents by a skilled nursing facility, including Medicare revenue for routine and ancillary services and Medicare revenue for services provided to residents covered under a Medicare managed care plan, less payer discounts and applicable contractual allowances as permitted under federal law and regulation. To implement this paragraph, the department shall request federal approval pursuant to Section 1324.27. (3) "Net revenue" does not mean charitable contributions and bad debt. (d) "Payer discounts and contractual allowances" means the difference between the facility's resident charges for routine or ancillary services and the actual amount paid. (e) "Skilled nursing facility" means a licensed facility as defined in subdivision (c) of Section 1250. 1324.21. (a) For facilities licensed under subdivision (c) of Section 1250, there shall be imposed each fiscal year a uniform quality assurance fee per resident day. The uniform quality assurance fee shall be based upon the entire net revenue of all skilled nursing facilities subject to the fee, except an exempt facility, as defined in Section 1324.20, calculated in accordance with subdivision (b). (b) The amount of the uniform quality assurance fee to be assessed per resident day shall be determined based on the aggregate net revenue of skilled nursing facilities subject to the fee, in accordance with the methodology outlined in the request for federal approval required by Section 1324.27 and in regulations, provider bulletins, or other similar instructions. The uniform quality assurance fee shall be calculated as follows: (1) (A) For the rate year 2004-05, the net revenue shall be projected for all skilled nursing facilities subject to the fee. The projection of net revenue shall be based on prior rate-year data. Once determined, the aggregate projected net revenue for all facilities shall be multiplied by 2.7 percent, as determined under the approved methodology, and then divided by the projected total resident days of all providers subject to the fee. (B) Notwithstanding subparagraph (A), the Director of Health Care Services may increase the amount of the fee up to 3 percent of the aggregate projected net revenue if necessary for the implementation of Article 3.8 (commencing with Section 14126) of Chapter 7 of Part 3 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code. (2) For the rate year 2005-06 and subsequent rate years through and including the 2010-11 rate year, the net revenue shall be projected for all skilled nursing facilities subject to the uniform quality assurance fee. The projection of net revenue shall be based on the prior rate year's data. Once determined, the aggregate projected net revenue for all facilities shall be multiplied by 6 percent, as determined under the approved methodology, and then divided by the projected total resident days of all providers subject to the fee. The amounts so determined shall be subject to the provisions of subdivision (d). (c) The director may assess and collect a nonuniform fee consistent with the methodology approved pursuant to Section 1324.27. (d) In no case shall the fees collected annually pursuant to this article, taken together with applicable licensing fees, exceed the amounts allowable under federal law. (e) If there is a delay in the implementation of this article for any reason, including a delay in the approval of the quality assurance fee and methodology by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, in the 2004-05 rate year or in any other rate year, all of the following shall apply: (1) Any facility subject to the fee may be assessed the amount the facility will be required to pay to the department, but shall not be required to pay the fee until the methodology is approved and Medi-Cal rates are increased in accordance with paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) of Section 1324.28 and the increased rates are paid to facilities. (2) The department may retroactively increase and make payment of rates to facilities. (3) Facilities that have been assessed a fee by the department shall pay the fee assessed within 60 days of the date rates are increased in accordance with paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) of Section 1324.28 and paid to facilities. (4) The department shall accept a facility's payment notwithstanding that the payment is submitted in a subsequent fiscal year than the fiscal year in which the fee is assessed. 1324.22. (a) The quality assurance fee, as calculated pursuant to Section 1324.21, shall be paid by the provider to the department for deposit in the State Treasury on a monthly basis on or before the last day of the month following the month for which the fee is imposed, except as provided in subdivision (e) of Section 1324.21. (b) On or before the last day of each calendar quarter, each skilled nursing facility shall file a report with the department, in a prescribed form, showing the facility's total resident days for the preceding quarter and payments made. If it is determined that a lesser amount was paid to the department, the facility shall pay the amount owed in the preceding quarter to the department with the report. Any amount determined to have been paid in excess to the department during the previous quarter shall be credited to the amount owed in the following quarter. (c) On or before August 31 of each year, each skilled nursing facility subject to an assessment pursuant to Section 1324.21 shall report to the department, in a prescribed form, the facility's total resident days and total payments made for the preceding state fiscal year. If it is determined that a lesser amount was paid to the department during the previous year, the facility shall pay the amount owed to the department with the report. (d) A newly licensed skilled nursing facility, as defined by the department, shall complete all requirements of subdivision (a) for any portion of the year in which it commences operations and of subdivision (b) for any portion of the quarter in which it commences operations. (e) When a skilled nursing facility fails to pay all or part of the quality assurance fee within 60 days of the date that payment is due, the department may deduct the unpaid assessment and interest owed from any Medi-Cal reimbursement payments to the facility until the full amount is recovered. Any deduction shall be made only after written notice to the facility and may be taken over a period of time taking into account the financial condition of the facility. (f) Should all or any part of the quality assurance fee remain unpaid, the department may take either or both of the following actions: (1) Assess a penalty equal to 50 percent of the unpaid fee amount. (2) Delay license renewal. (g) In accordance with the provisions of the Medicaid state plan, the payment of the quality assurance fee shall be considered as an allowable cost for Medi-Cal reimbursement purposes. (h) The assessment process pursuant to this section shall become operative not later than 60 days from receipt of federal approval of the quality assurance fee, unless extended by the department. The department may assess fees and collect payment in accordance with subdivision (e) of Section 1324.21 in order to provide retroactive payments for any rate increase authorized under this article. 1324.23. (a) The Director of Health Care Services, or his or her designee, shall administer this article. (b) The director may adopt regulations as are necessary to implement this article. These regulations may be adopted as emergency regulations in accordance with the rulemaking provisions of the Administrative Procedure Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code). For purposes of this article, the adoption of regulations shall be deemed an emergency and necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health and safety, or general welfare. The regulations shall include, but need not be limited to, any regulations necessary for any of the following purposes: (1) The administration of this article, including the proper imposition and collection of the quality assurance fee not to exceed amounts reasonably necessary for purposes of this article. (2) The development of any forms necessary to obtain required information from facilities subject to the quality assurance fee. (3) To provide details, definitions, formulas, and other requirements. (c) As an alternative to subdivision (b), and notwithstanding the rulemaking provisions of Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code, the director may implement this article, in whole or in part, by means of a provider bulletin, or other similar instructions, without taking regulatory action, provided that no such bulletin or other similar instructions shall remain in effect after July 31, 2010. It is the intent of the Legislature that the regulations adopted pursuant to subdivision (b) shall be adopted on or before July 31, 2010. 1324.24. The quality assurance fee assessed and collected pursuant to this article shall be deposited in the State Treasury. 1324.25. The funds assessed pursuant to this article shall be available to enhance federal financial participation in the Medi-Cal program or to provide additional reimbursement to, and to support facility quality improvement efforts in, licensed skilled nursing facilities. 1324.26. In implementing this article, the department may utilize the services of the Medi-Cal fiscal intermediary through a change order to the fiscal intermediary contract to administer this program, consistent with the requirements of Sections 14104.6, 14104.7, 14104.8, and 14104.9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code. 1324.27. (a) (1) The department shall request approval from the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for the implementation of this article. In making this request, the department shall seek specific approval from the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to exempt facilities identified in subdivision (b) of Section 1324.20, including the submission of a request for waiver of broad-based requirement, waiver of uniform fee requirement, or both, pursuant to paragraphs (1) and (2) of subdivision (e) of Section 433.68 of Title 42 of the Code of Federal Regulations. (2) The director may alter the methodology specified in this article, to the extent necessary to meet the requirements of federal law or regulations or to obtain federal approval. The Director of Health Services may also add new categories of exempt facilities or apply a nonuniform fee to the skilled nursing facilities subject to the fee in order to meet requirements of federal law or regulations. The Director of Health Services may apply a zero fee to one or more exempt categories of facilities, if necessary to obtain federal approval. (3) If after seeking federal approval, federal approval is not obtained, this article shall not be implemented. (b) The department shall make retrospective adjustments, as necessary, to the amounts calculated pursuant to Section 1324.21 in order to assure that the aggregate quality assurance fee for any particular state fiscal year does not exceed 6 percent of the aggregate annual net revenue of facilities subject to the fee. 1324.28. (a) This article shall be implemented as long as both of the following conditions are met: (1) The state receives federal approval of the quality assurance fee from the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. (2) Legislation is enacted in the 2004 legislative session making an appropriation from the General Fund and from the Federal Trust Fund to fund a rate increase for skilled nursing facilities, as defined under subdivision (c) of Section 1250, for the 2004-05 rate year in an amount consistent with the Medi-Cal rates that specific facilities would have received under the rate methodology in effect as of July 31, 2004, plus the proportional costs as projected by Medi-Cal for new state or federal mandates. (b) This article shall remain operative only as long as all of the following conditions are met: (1) The federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services continues to allow the use of the provider assessment provided in this article. (2) The Medi-Cal Long Term Care Reimbursement Act, Article 3.8 (commencing with Section 14126) of Chapter 7 of Part 3 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, as added during the 2003-04 Regular Session by the act adding this section, is enacted and implemented on or before July 31, 2005, or as extended as provided in that article, and remains in effect thereafter. (3) The state has continued its maintenance of effort for the level of state funding of nursing facility reimbursement for rate year 2005-06, and for every subsequent rate year continuing through the 2010-11 rate year, in an amount not less than the amount that specific facilities would have received under the rate methodology in effect on July 31, 2004, plus Medi-Cal's projected proportional costs for new state or federal mandates, not including the quality assurance fee. (4) The full amount of the quality assurance fee assessed and collected pursuant to this article remains available for the purposes specified in Section 1324.25 and for related purposes. (c) If all of the conditions in subdivision (a) are met, this article is implemented, and subsequently, any one of the conditions in subdivision (b) is not met, on and after the date that the department makes that determination, this article shall not be implemented, notwithstanding that the condition or conditions subsequently may be met. (d) Notwithstanding subdivisions (a), (b), and (c), in the event of a final judicial determination made by any state or federal court that is not appealed, or by a court of appellate jurisdiction that is not further appealed, in any action by any party, or a final determination by the administrator of the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, that federal financial participation is not available with respect to any payment made under the methodology implemented pursuant to this article because the methodology is invalid, unlawful, or contrary to any provision of federal law or regulations, or of state law, this section shall become inoperative. 1324.29. The quality assurance fee shall cease to be assessed and collected on or after July 31, 2011. 1324.30. This article shall become inoperative on July 31, 2011, and, as of January 1, 2012, is repealed, unless a later enacted statute, that becomes operative on or before January 1, 2012, deletes or extends the dates on which it becomes inoperative and is repealed.
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